I have been comparing 2 specific cameras (pricewise in an affordable price bracket) side by side, (Canon 600D vs Nikon D5100) and also on a website called 'snapsort' to compare as to which one would be better. Although I have Canon eos lenses, I went and bought a Nikon, for something different, as I have had Canons for a long time.
So, now I have the body, I thought, just get an adapter ring for the canon lens to fit the Nikon...right?.....wrong
Apparently, adaptor rings are availalbe for Nikon lens to fit Canon cameras, but not the other way around.
So now I am looking for a Tamron 18mm-250mm to fit the Nikon, so on ebay, they are there, for just over $200, whereas in the camera stores here in Oz, they retail for over $400.

But, as I have also just found out, lenses ain't lenses.....the Canon camera body has a built in motor and can take a lens with no motor, but the Nikon body has no motor, and the lens has to be motorized......gee.....glad I didn't buy just any ole Tamron lens. I will get this right, but perhaps, now I am feeling a little regret I didn't get the Canon instead?

Well, once I get it all together for this Nikon, that will be the exciting part....discovery of a new camera. I will report back here, with pictures, of my conclusion in due course.

Then....I saw the Sony.....oh dear.....(talking to self)...stop looking at cameras! Lucky I don't change cars like I do cameras!

Well if I could, I would dearly love to try them all out. So I am starting to change cameras around....sold my Lumix FZ100 and Sony HX9V, ended up getting a Nikon D5100 with 18-200mm Tamron lens, and today, I just received my new compact Lumix TZ30.

I realized I had developed a bad habit of not holding the camera too steady with the in built stabilizers, anti blur this, and whatnot....so with the DSLR, I had to unlearn bad habits, and re-learn good habits.
With the Lumix TZ30, it is a nice compact, with a 20 optical zoom. I found it takes better indoor and flash photos than the HX9V...this camera used to look too 'reddish' with indoor photos.
So it was good to sell them whilst still available in the shops and able to get a good price for them.

So now I have a DSLR and a compact only. Yeah...down to 2 cameras only
I received the Lumix today and took some photos, macro of a tiny litle daisy in the grass.....I was practically touching it with the glass lens!
So I guess I do change cameras often...after all

I did end up getting a Nikon D5100, for something different, as I have always had Canon's.
I ended up getting a Tamron 18-200mm lens, a special UV filter, and one of the best SD cards (Sandisc pro-extreme), my latest is a 32 gb card. And I also have a spare battery.
Having read the instructions and learning online I have come to know the camera a bit better and take more risks with photos in manual mode, and other modes, to see how the camera performs.
Just clicking away, is the way to learn, it seems. Then study the photos on the computer monitor to see it more clearly.

I sold the Nikon d5100 and opted for the Nikon d5200, mainly because it is 24mp compared to 16mp (even though I can minimize the mp to take more photos on the sd card if I need to withougt jepadizing the quality), and it has far more focus points than the d5100. (39 compared to 11).

And as for my Pana Lumix tz30, a month out of the year I owned it, and the thing had a huge malfunction, the zoom lens does not work, comes up as error zoom.

Well, looks like I only have the Nikon d5200 for now, so I am expanding on it's accessories.
My next want is a portrait lens, either 35 mm or 50mm (what they call 'nifty fifty') with a f1.8 aperature.
This would be an amazing little lens for night scenes, as well as portraits, without using the flash.
Most lenses are approx f3.5 onwards.
Will let you know how it goes once I get it

As for still wanting a nice compact and not having to lug the big DSLR around all the time, I still have my old Kodak 4mp camera I bought back in the mid 2000's.

I had taken some good snaps with that camera, including the Maheno Shipwreck on Frazer Island, to which I entered that photo at the Lilydale Show, and I received highly commendable certificate.
Wow, I thought, and when I said to the judges I had taken that photo with a 4 mp camera in 2006, they were amazed.